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McSherrystown trying to make school zone safer

Council is moving forward with further parking restrictions and crosswalk signs.

By MELODY ASPER

For The Evening Sun

Posted:
03/16/2013 01:07:46 PM EDT

Teacher Sherry Chroniger, left, directs students onto buses after classes ended at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary School in McSherrystown. Borough officials are proposing a no parking extension to the southern part of North Street to allow more room for buses and parents picking up students after school. (THE EVENING SUN -- SHANE DUNLAP)

Buses take off down North Street in McSherrystown after school ended at the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary School. Borough officials are proposing a longer no parking zone on North Street as a safety measure for students arriving and leaving school. (THE EVENING SUN -- SHANE DUNLAP)

McSherrystown officials hope to make the walk to school safer for Annunciation BVM students, and make things safer for vehicles on North Street, as well.

Borough officials have spent the last several months studying ways to improve safety near the school, Borough Supervisor Scott Cook said.

One of those ways - extending the no-parking zone on the south side of North Street during school hours - was set in motion Wednesday, when the Borough Council approved advertising an ordinance that calls for the change. Parking would be prohibited Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from a point 30 feet east of Third Street to a point 263 feet farther east.

Cook said the parking restriction will make it easier for school-bus access and for parents dropping off or picking up their children. One area of North Street near Annunciation already has no parking during those times, he said, but the restriction currently is only to 175 feet east of the Third Street intersection.

"This will extend the no parking zone so that it will be much safer for parents picking up their kids," said Cook.

The ordinance will be brought back to a council meeting in March for final adoption.

Annunciation Principal Christine Lucas, who attended Wednesday's meeting, thanked council for moving forward with amended no-parking rules, but said vehicles speeding along the street are also an ever-present danger to children and other vehicles.

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Lucas asked if a flashing school-zone sign could be installed on North Street, saying the crossing guard too often has problems trying to stop speeding traffic.

"We would really like to have a school-zone established on North Street," Pascoe said. "I have seen quite a few close calls. It's really hazardous out there."

Cook said the state would require a traffic study, costing about $4,000, to find out if the area warrants a flashing signal.

"Borough funds are really tight right now," he said. "I just don't see how we could swing it."

The speed limit on North Street is 25 mph and that is also as low as can be established without the same kind of traffic study, said Mayor Anthony Weaver.

"Without the traffic study, 25 mph is as low as we can go," Weaver said. "Even 25 mph on a street as narrow as North Street, in a school zone, is unsafe."

The council agreed that a traffic study is too costly for the borough this year.

"I think we will look at something else for a cure before we take that step," Councilman James Forbes said.

One step that will be taken within the next few days, said police chief Michael Woods, is that the borough's electronic speed sign will be erected in that area so that drivers will see how fast they are actually going.

"It's a quick fix but an electronic speed sign will slow people down," said Woods.

The portable "Safe Pace 100" sign was purchased last year with funds contributed by two area organizations. The McSherrystown Home Association contributed $1,675 and the McSherrystown Moose gave $1,600 to the borough's police department, with the combined total completely paying for the sign.

The Borough Council also unanimously approved the purchase and installation of four new crosswalk signs on North Street, at a total cost of $400 for the signs and posts. Those funds are already in the borough's budget, Cook said.

Pascoe asked if it would be legal for residents to put school zone signs up on their private property.

The council said that a similar question was raised in another part of town several years ago by a property owner that asked to be allowed to put "slow - children at play" signs up.

That request was allowed, the council said, as the signs were completely on the private property and were not in line of sight for vehicle or pedestrian access.

"It may make people take notice," said Councilman Joseph VonSas. "But it can't be in a borough right-of-way or be a hazard to traffic."